Good Girl Bad

I really enjoyed Good Girl Bad by S.A. McEwen. Good Girl Bad is the first book that I have read by S.A. McEwen and am looking forward to reading other books. I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Good Girl Bad. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I kept trying to figure out what was really going on. Who does not love a psychological suspense thriller with a surprise ending? S.A. McEwen has shown that she is a master storyteller. I love how she developed the story line and the characters. It was an incredible psychological suspense thriller and had me guessing who was behind all the happenings. I could not put it down and loved every moment on every page of this wonderful page turner. I enjoyed how the book was told from the perspective of the characters in the book, that way the reader gets to know what the character is really thinking and feeling. I love how S.A. McEwen incorporates the book title and the picture on the cover into the story. The story started out slowly, but once the plot twist was revealed the storyline quickly picked up. Never saw the was really going on with Tabby in the story until it was revealed. It truly took me by surprise. Good Girl Bad is the story of Rebecca Giovanni, her husband Leroy, daughters Tabby and Genevieve, and her ex-husband, Nate. The story begins with Rebecca discovering that her husband, Leroy and daughter, Tabby are missing and the family dog, Charlie is dead. As Nate searches to discover the truth about the recent events in Tabby’s life, he discovers more than expected about both Tabby and Rebecca. Events prior to the disappearance are included in the story, so that the reader is aware of details leading up to disappearances of Leroy and Tabby, it was not my favorite way to tell the story, I felt like the story was constantly jumping around between the past and current day. I love how the last chapter takes place a couple months after the events of the story, and how all the characters changed because of the events in the story. My favorite part was the surprise ending when all the truths are revealed. It was an incredible thriller. Looking forward to reading more books by S.A. McEwen. Looking for a great thriller, then I highly recommend Good Girl Bad.

Thanks to an ARC from Grey's Promotions and S.A. McEwen, Good Girl Bad (GGB) is my first foray into books by this author. I'm not sure if I will read another. Let me explain why. I will do my best to not include spoilers, but no promises. GGB's lead character, Rebecca Giovanni, is a very strong and unlikable person. On the surface level, she appears to be nearly perfect. She has been very successful in her career, has a beautiful home masterfully decorated, an extremely handsome husband who is only slightly more eye-catching than her ex-husband, and two gorgeous daughters making up their "perfect" blended family. Behind closed doors, Bec is anything but perfect in any way. She is savagely emotionally abusive to her eldest teen daughter, Tabby. When Bec finds Tabby's dog dead and her husband, Leroy, and daughter Tabby have disappeared, things start to get very twisted. (I found myself lost at many points during this read.) Bec's ex-husband "moves in" to help protect their younger daughter from the unknown danger. Did Leroy and Tabby run off together? Are they both missing, but in an unrelated manner? Are they OK? Suddenly, Bec's estranged parents of nearly 20 years show up to help find the missing family members. Now, is when things start to come into focus. It seems the deep psychological damage in Bec is profoundly rooted, over decades, from early childhood trauma as was left untreated by her parents. (I don't want to go into more detail here so as not to ruin the story for those who want to enjoy it.) In my honest opinion, GGB is more a story showcasing how undiagnosed and unaddressed trauma can manifest later in life than a "Thriller". I pray no-one ever takes their deep-seated rage and allows it to erupt as savagely as Bec's does in GGB. If there is one positive to Good Girl Bad, it is to remind us to take care of ourselves, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Message received!